


Despite Your Destination

by J (jaywright)



Category: The Phoenix Incident (2015)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaywright/pseuds/J
Summary: Telling Mitch Adams no was a skill that Jake had started practicing early and often, but actually meaning it was something he’d never managed to master.
Relationships: Mitch Adams/Jake Reynolds
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Despite Your Destination

**Author's Note:**

> contains mentions of internalized homophobia & anticipation of external homophobia

Telling Mitch Adams no was a skill that Jake had started practicing early and often, but actually meaning it was something he’d never managed to master.

He’d learned lessons over the years, taught himself how to do lots of things, but when Mitch would lean in with his eyes crinkling in a grin, his hands warm and broad as they reached for Jake...well, he just made it far too easy to say yes.

“I’m too old for this shit,” Jake muttered into the crook of his elbow, flat on the couch and listening to Glenn and Ryan bicker in the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Mitch agreed. He was looming, Jake could tell without even opening his eyes. “You’re an old fucking man, and you’re gonna hold us all back. You’re coming anyways.” 

There was no warning before Mitch was on him, stretching out, pinning him to the couch, a delicious weight spreading out over him that made Jake want to shove his hips against him, get them both off like they’d done so many times before, but he knew Glenn and his camera could come in at any second, so he struggled instead, halfheartedly trying to tip Mitch onto the floor.

Mitch’s fingers tightened, his legs tangling into Jake’s. “Get up,” he was saying against Jake’s ear, “get up get up get up - “

“Fuck _you_ ,” Jake growled, shoving ineffectually.

“Not right now,” Mitch said amiably, too low for the others to hear, but it sent a flush of heat through Jake’s body. Ryan called for Mitch, and he pushed himself upright. “C’mon,” he said, squeezing Jake’s wrists before letting them go abruptly. “It’ll be fun.”

Jake sagged back into the couch as Mitch’s weight levered off of him. “Fun,” he repeated dryly. “Right.” His idea of fun sounded a lot more like staying right where he was, dragging Mitch down against him, and thoroughly exploring what the note of interest that had appeared in Mitch’s voice at the mention of Jake fucking him had meant.

That wasn’t how things worked with them. They were rushed handjobs in a bar bathroom, blowing each other messily in a car, and every once in a while (not nearly often enough), Mitch’s hands rough against Jake’s skin, pinning him to a wall or a bed and fucking into him until he couldn’t see straight.

There had been a moment, sometime after Mark, when Mitch had needed someone and Jake had been there for him, when it might have become something else, but instead...well, instead, Jake got married.

If there was anything Jake was worse at than saying no to Mitch, it was keeping himself from panicking.

“Jakey!” Ryan’s hands plunged roughly into his hair, pulling him upwards. “We’re going! C’mon!”

He grumbled, swatting Ryan’s hands away, but he let himself be swept along in their wake, dragging himself from the couch and trying to shake off the impending feeling of doom that even the press of Mitch’s body against him hadn’t managed to shake.

The sun was good for him, and the wind, and the laughter, until eventually he found himself relaxing, feeling decidedly silly - right up until the moment when he felt Glenn’s hand tugging at the back of his shirt, baring the skin of his lower back.

He stood from Glenn’s lap quickly, shaking him off, but it was too late, Mitch already barreling into him, sweeping him off his feet and dragging the shirt up, exposing his tattooed skin.

Mitch’s hand slapped down against it, and the sound that Jake let out was more arousal than surprise.

He felt his face heating up as Mitch let him go, more from the lingering heat of Mitch’s hand against his skin than from embarrassment about the tattoo. He didn’t want to talk about Krissy. Not now, not with Mitch’s wickedly delighted eyes on him like that, like he wanted to scoop Jake up and take him to pieces.

He was imagining the feeling of Mitch’s mouth tracing the lines of the tattoo as he fumbled his way through an explanation.

He flinched away from Melissa’s hug. _Fuck_ , he was a mess.

Mitch came at him again, gathering Jake up effortlessly, fingers roughly dragging his pants down to bare the curve of his ass. Jake struggled, mostly to feel Mitch’s fingers go tighter, and he felt some of his shame dissolving into a giddy hysterical grin as Mitch’s wide hand slapped the skin again, his voice going high as he said, “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!”

They were both laughing when Mitch let him go, Jake stumbling back out of his range, but when Mitch slung an arm around his shoulders companionably, Jake let himself fall against his side, still shaking with laughter.

“Can’t believe I didn’t see that before,” Mitch said, his voice low against his ear.

Jake’s eyes darted around, but no one was paying any attention to them, Glenn fussing with his camera, Ryan and Melissa absorbed in each other. “Didn’t let you.”

“Why not?”

“Because of _this_!” Jake ducked out from under his arm, waving a hand around them. “Why fucking not? Why do you think, Mitch? Because I knew you’d be an asshole about it! Call me - “ he cut himself off, cursing under his breath. 

_Whipped_ hadn’t been what he was expecting, but it hurt almost as much to know that Mitch and the others still thought that this had anything to do with Krissy at all. 

“Never mind,” he mumbled roughly, turning away, but Mitch caught him again, arm going around him, pulling him close.

“Hey,” he said, a note of something softer in his voice. “It’s fucking hot, man.” His hand pressed briefly and teasingly above Jake’s waistband, and then he was ducking away, taking off at a run towards Ryan, flinging himself against his back, nearly knocking him into Melissa.

Jake carefully adjusted his shirt, dragging it down and letting his fingers linger for just a moment too long at the spot that Mitch had slapped.

He was starving by the time they reached the diner, the adrenaline of the day coursing through him, and he barely paid any attention to what the others were saying until Ryan started hassling him about his paintings. He felt a flare of anger at the interrogation, and was relieved when Ryan huffed off, Glenn at his heels.

“It’s all gonna fall apart, you know,” Jake said, watching them go. He scooted into Glenn’s spot and kicked his feet up onto the seat across from him.

“What?” Mitch turned to him from where he’d been watching Ryan leave, eyes narrowing.

“This.” It was almost a relief to say the words out loud. He waved a hand between them, then indicated Glenn. “Us. When Ryan leaves.”

Mitch’s jaw went tight, and Jake thought for a second he was going to deny it. “Yeah,” he said instead. “Probably.” His hand fell heavily against Jake’s ankle, curving around it. “I don’t want that.”

“Yeah,” Jake agreed. He left his foot there and turned to stare out the window. “Me neither.”

They sat in heavy silence until the others returned.

Beer helped. Beer and the weird coziness of sitting there at the edge of town, looking at the lights with his guys around him. It almost made it possible not to think about the rest of it for a minute.

Ryan was still there beside them, and Mitch was grinning up at the sky, and Glenn was capturing it all, saving the moment so it couldn’t be forgotten.

It made Jake wonder if maybe he was still capable of making art after all.

Everything came crushing back down on him when the planes appeared, though, shattering the moment, bringing a new rush of tension and anxiety and the gnawing feeling of doom that had kept him immobilized on the couch that morning, had left him shaking in the car after the attack that afternoon. 

He didn’t want this. He didn’t want military secrets and adventures and Mitch’s manic energy drawing him in like it was gravity. 

Mitch’s arm looped around his neck, and Jake let himself sag back against him. He was warm and familiar and demanding, his hands all over Jake in a way that made his head swim.

"I swear,” Mitch said, “I will get you the best blowjob ever,” and Jake heard the _give_ beneath the words, picturing Mitch on his knees for him, making desperate sounds as Jake’s fingers went tight in his hair.

His head tipped back a little toward Mitch's shoulder, the fight draining out of him. He was still mumbling vague objections, looking to Ryan for backup, but he already knew how this would end, already knew it was only a matter of time before he was climbing onto his ATV, cursing under his breath as he chased Mitch into the darkness.

He let himself be scooped up and crushed against Mitch’s body, and he stood there gasping, breathless, as Mitch did the same to Ryan, whooping in joy.

It was a sound that Jake of a few years ago hadn’t been sure he would ever hear again. Even through his apprehension, he felt a helpless smile spread across his face.

He would do this, for Mitch. 

And maybe tomorrow, he’d start working on learning how to tell him no.


End file.
